The invention relates to a collimator holding device mounted on a weapon barrel, close to the muzzle. The collimator holding device serves for temporarily securing a collimator of a field-adjusting apparatus to the weapon barrel.
During the course of the firing operation weapon barrels are significantly heated by virtue of the heat transfer from the hot gases and burning powder to the barrel wall. Such a phenomenon takes place particularly during serial firing. With an increasing heat-up of the weapon barrel the barrel muzzle frequently sags and thus a deterioration of the accuracy of the weapon results.
For this reason, during firing operation, as a rule a follow-up adjustment of the weapon has to be effected by means of "field-adjusting" devices. A field adjusting device verifies the position of the muzzle with the aid of an optical assembly (collimator) situated at the barrel muzzle and, if necessary, corrective steps may be taken. For such a procedure, the collimator is secured to the barrel muzzle by means of a special collimator holding device.
It is known to connect the collimator holder with the weapon barrel by means of screws. Such a solution, however, is disadvantageous in that relatively wide securing surfaces need to be made available on the weapon barrel. Further, a sufficient screw depth in the weapon barrel has to be ensured for the securing screws. Because of these requirements, at the barrel muzzle a significant amount of barrel material has to be present which disadvantageously affects the oscillating behavior of the weapon barrel and also aids the above-described muzzle sagging. It has further been found that problems are encountered with the securing screws which often become loose.
When tubular collimator holders are used, it has been proposed to secure such tubes to the weapon barrel by means of shrunk-on rings. It is, among others, a disadvantage of such a solution that it involves a substantial technological outlay and, in addition, as in the earlier discussed solution, such a solution requires a significant mass of material in the muzzle region of the weapon barrel.